12/27/17 A "BEFORE" NEW YEARS RESOLUTION

12/27/17 A "BEFORE" NEW YEAR RESOLUTION
(why wait for the best things in life?)

This is really worth reading, but sadly, some folks will never see this post and some who see it will rush past it, refusing to be bothered with DLG's rantings.

What do you do, or what do you have, to which you dedicate specific time, special attention, your sharpest focus, your best effort? It could be your music, your writing, your hobby, your sport, your garden, your cooking, your work. Though we give ourselves to many different things, there are some activities, to which we readily and rigorously apply ourselves most intently. Whatever our pet project may be, it is not something we treat lightly and it is not something we want others to demean.

Obviously, our personal relationships should be on this list, but the fact is, most people often treat family, loved ones, especially those who are supposed to be the closest to us, with less than our best effort.

It is too easy to ignore, hurt, offend someone, just because we think they should be able to "take it," or because we have allowed familiarity to replace fondness. Sometimes those people who are close to us will just "grin and bare it" when they are hurt. We can misinterpret that response as acceptance, when in reality we are shoving them further from us until one day we will finally realize that the distance and the separation can never be fully recovered. I have seen family members become distant and even hostile to one another because of someone's insensitive (read that as, "unChristlike") words and actions.

Setting goals involves evaluating things as they are, and evaluating our actions from the past. As you think about those who are the closest to you (or should be), don't wait for them to ask you to make a change. You be the one to initiate a new beginning. You may readily see the areas that need the greatest change, or you may need to ask your loved one what you can do to make your relationship better. In any case, you be the one who decides to make the change(s).

Don't wait for, or expect change from the other person. This is not about them. This is about ourselves. You may even ask them to let you know when you fail to do the loving, sensitive thing in the future, so that you can give the proper attention to developing the relationship to the fullest.

And please, do not use this as an opportunity to attack the other person. It is possible that the other person will not do the right thing, but that is their choice. Our choice is for us to do the right thing.